Career Day
by easilydistractedblondie
Summary: Several months after the death of Gale and Rory's father, the two boys have to learn how to cope with day to day life. Including all the little things that they never would have thought they would ever miss. I'm terrible with reviews but I think its a great story! Read and Review please.


A/N this is the first fic that I've written in a while. Please R&R and leave any constructive criticism/ideas in the reviews!

Rory Hawthorne had never been the "smart kid" or the "funny kid" or even the "athletic kid". He had always been "that seem kid" and "that kid that doesn't have a dad" and "that kid whose brother works in the mines to take care of their family". He hated it, more than anything else Rory longed for some degree of normalcy I his life.

It was career day at school and everyone had brought their moms and dads in to talk about their work. Rory, of course, had no one. His father was dead, his mother was busy working her fingers to the bone washing clothes for the town people and taking care of Posy, and he obviously couldn't bring Gale; if anyone found out that he hunted in the woods he could be put to death. Or worse.

Rory sat in his chair at the back of the room with his head on the desk as the parents talked about their jobs. There were doctors, peacekeepers, coal miners, even the D12U marching band director, but Rory didn't care. He just wanted his daddy. He tried to keep his breathing steady and his mind clear but it didn't last long. Rory hid his face and cried heartbrokenly, unable to control himself. Mrs. Stone, his second grade teacher came over and gently put her hand on his shoulder, not making it obvious "Sweetheart do you need to step out?" Rory's only response was one of tears and sobbing. Mrs. Stone helped him up and led him out of the class room and to the nurses office where he could lay down for a few minutes and try to calm down while Gale got there.

As soon as Gale was called over the intercom he gathered his things and rushed out of the room, not saying anything to anyone. He sprinted down the hallway trying to get to his little brother as quickly as he could. Gale wasn't the kind of kid who always followed the rules, that didn't matter to him. He did what he had to do to get the job done, wether others liked it or not. Since the death of their father Gale didn't worry about the rules, he just wanted to protect his family and keep them alive. He now has one mission in life and it's to take care of Rory, Vic, Posy and his mom. He started hunting in the woods and trading on the black market. He became the shoulder to lean on, the one to run to when there were nightmares and the glue that held the family together. He seldom got enough sleep or to eat. But Gale didn't worry for himself, only for his brothers and baby sister.

Posy had just turned two and it broke Gale's heart that he couldn't get her something nice for her birthday, it was all he could do to get her an old tattered rag doll that was hardly as nice as he wanted it to be. Posy hadn't cared though, she never put her doll down.

Gale sprinted down the hall to the nurses office, running in to get to Rory.

Rory sprang up and hugged him, crying his eyes out. "I w-want daddy!" he cried out, feeling himself fall apart. He felt his knees go weak as he fell in Gale's arms. Rory had relied heavily on his father, as most seven year old little boys do. He needed him to help with homework, to hold him when he had nightmares, to tell him bedtime stories. To calm him down when what seems like the worst things that could happen to you when you're in the second grade. Things like scraped knees and paper cuts and accidentally wetting the bed at night. Rory couldn't believe that his daddy was gone, it felt like there was a hole in his heart.

Gale carried him home through the thunder storm that had started over the district. He put his coat over Rory as well as his own. Gale walked into their small, rickety, worn out, seam house. He was soaked from head to toe. Gale's wet shirt clung to him; showing off his ribs. He had become even thinner since the mining accident, giving most of the food to his brothers and mother and trading the remainder for formula for Posy, hardly saving anything for himself. "Rory… bub we're home," he murmured, not putting the smaller child down. He went over to the fire place and started a fire, taking off Rory's jackets and laying him on the couch in front of the fire. "Stay here. I'll be right back," he said again when Rory didn't respond to his previous statement.

Gale went into his room and changed into some old sweatpants and a dry t-shirt. He shivered slightly, leaving his shirt off for a moment, noticing the way that his hip bones and ribs protruded. He didn't look strong and threatening. He looked small and weak. Gale was going through the same feelings as Rory was. He felt abandoned and afraid and he didn't know what to do a lot of the time. He felt consistently felt caught off guard. Every feeling of stability in his life that Gale had ever had was gone. All his life he thought that his dad would always be that for him and his family. He had _promised _to never leave them.

Trying to shake off his thoughts Gale went back into the living room where Rory was, sitting on the couch beside him. Gale picked Rory up and held him in his lap, the way he had seen his dad do so many times before. "Rory what happened at school today? What upset you so much?" He didn't know that today had been career day. Rory explained everything through his tears, not holding anything back as he sobbed.

Gale held him tight and listened intently to every word. When Rory was finally done speaking Gale placed a kiss on his forehead, holding him close. "I'm sorry," he said in a calming voice, "I could have tried to come in… I know I'm nowhere nearly as good as dad was but I'm trying my best to always be here no matter what it is that you need."

Rory nodded and cuddled in closer to Gale, beginning to cough badly. Things were about to get a lot worse for the Hawthorne family.

A/N Soooo what did you think? I know that its a little bit eclectic but I'm planning to do like a series of oneshots on different stages of Gale and Rory's lives. Please comment or pm me any ideas on topics/things/situations that I could turn into a one shot! :)


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